The concept of a Trusted Vendor delivering on the behavior and displaying the seal - PM, Consultant, Plumber - is exactly right and exciting. We have Trusted Site, Trusted Seller, lots of trusts. This beautiful idea creates the grain that others would want to go with - ‘go with’ in the sense of “let’s go with someone off the Trost Trustee list for XXX project.” In government it’s the Master Services Agreements, in private sector it’s being PMI certified and having projects under your belt. In Trost is attaining the accreditation and having it ’sealed’ for all to see.

Pardon me for dropping in and then dropping down to tactics but would this mean Trost would establish expectations, define success criteria, and measure performance, and then delivery leads to being registered as a Trost Trustee or a Trusted Trostee - a la CMM? This would be excellent in the Virtual Community where trust is the asset with great returns [once ill-invested, might lead to many negative returns].

Let me see what happens when I turn this knob: Apply the idea to Arthur Andersen [Enron]. Who audits? Third party? As a purchaser, I want to see the seal, the metaphor for trust, and feel free to invite them into the house.

I’ve been away for a while and now see that you guys have been doing brain surgery without me. I must have a lot of catch-up to do.

Erudite